Survival in the Apocalypse: Max Level Drop Rate with Abundant Resources

"Let her go!"

A cold shout rang out.

The crowd parted, and a tall figure rushed out.

She was a woman in her mid-twenties, with short, shoulder-length hair, sharp features, and a black tracksuit that accentuated her athletic figure. She held a rusty steel pipe in her hand, pointing it directly at the skinny man, her eyes filled with rage.

"I'll say it again, let her go."

The skinny man was startled by this imposing manner and instinctively released his grip. But he quickly recovered, his face darkening: "Who the hell are you? Mind your own business?"

The short-haired woman ignored him and pulled the trembling girl behind her.

"Are you alright?"

The girl shook her head, her eyes reddening. "Thank you... thank you..."

"What are you thanking me for?" the skinny man protested, stepping forward. "I saw it first! What right do you have to take it?"

The men who had started the disturbance behind him also surrounded him, each with an unfriendly expression.

The short-haired woman glanced at them coldly and gripped the steel pipe tightly: "Because my fists are bigger than yours."

"Damn it! That bitch's asking for it!"

The skinny man cursed and was about to make a move...

That's enough.

A deep voice rang out.

The tall, thin man with glasses walked over, followed by several college students. He glanced at the short-haired woman, then at the skinny man, and adjusted his glasses.

"We're here to explore dungeons, not to fight amongst ourselves. If you want to find women, go outside and find some anywhere. If you cause trouble here and alert the zombies, we're all doomed."

The skinny man's expression changed, and he finally spat and led his men away.

Before leaving, he glared fiercely at the short-haired woman.

"You bitch, you just wait."

The short-haired woman ignored him completely, simply pulling the girl back a few steps and finding a clean spot to sit down.

Shen Xi watched this scene from the shadows, her gaze lingering on the short-haired woman for a moment.

interesting.

Although the woman was dressed plainly, her grip on the steel pipe was steady, and her eyes showed no sign of panic, clearly indicating she had training. Furthermore, she protected the stranger without the slightest hesitation.

In this apocalyptic world, such people are rare.

Just as he was about to look away, the short-haired woman suddenly seemed to sense something, abruptly turning her head to look directly in the direction where Shen Xi was hiding!

Those eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.

Shen Xi felt a chill run down her spine.

Such keen intuition.

Although he felt conflicted, he did not move.

The special effect of the Bone Concealing Hat made him blend into the shadows, making him virtually undetectable to ordinary people.

Sure enough, the short-haired woman stared for a few seconds, frowned slightly, and then turned her head away.

A smile appeared on Shen Xi's lips.

That's interesting; no wonder he dared to take the initiative to save people.

He withdrew his gaze and looked back into the depths of the distant ruins.

There, the howls of rotting corpses rose and fell, and deeper inside, a particularly tall building could be vaguely seen. It was an abandoned cold storage facility, the core of this ruin.

In my previous life, that level 9 boss corpse resided in that cold storage.

The core of the job change is also there.

Shen Xi took a deep breath and stood up.

"Mingying, let's go."

Shen Xi lay prone in the shadows of the ruins, his gaze sweeping back and forth between the chaotic group and the dense horde of corpses in the distance.

He considered it carefully.

If they forced their way in, with his and Mingying's strength, breaking into the depths of the ruins wouldn't be a problem.

But the question is, what happens after we break in?

That level 9 boss isn't just for show; it will definitely attract a large number of corpses during the battle. We'll be attacked from both sides, and even with Mingying and Guitong's help, it'll be tough.

What's more, there are also seventy or eighty people watching from the sidelines, eager to take advantage of the situation.

He understood the principle of "when the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman benefits" better than anyone else.

"We have to infiltrate."

Shen Xi made up her mind and led Ming Ying around to the other side of the ruins, where they found a secluded spot.

With a thought, he put the Corrupted Bone Battle Axe, the Mine Owner's Bone Blade, and the Storm Cloak back into his storage space, leaving only the Bone Concealment Hat on his head. The hat's shadow covered most of his face, revealing only his sharply defined chin.

"Follow me."

Shen Xi gave a low instruction and led Mingying toward the group.

The atmosphere remained delicate in the open space in front of the warehouse.

The group of college students were still studying the route on the map, the migrant workers were chatting and joking in small groups, and the elderly, women, and children were huddled in a corner, trembling. Only the short-haired woman leaned against the wall, munching on a compressed biscuit while warily scanning her surroundings.

Shen Xi was spotted immediately when she emerged from behind the ruins.

It wasn't the short-haired woman who caused it, but rather a few people who were lurking on the edge of the situation.

The group of men were wearing matching black T-shirts with the words "Mad Tiger" scribbled on their chests, and they were carrying machetes and steel pipes. They were clearly members of a small group.

"Halt! Who goes there?"

The leader was a blond man in his twenties who came up with a machete and looked Shen Xi and Ming Ying up and down.

Shen Xi didn't speak, but stopped walking and looked at him calmly from under her straw hat.

The blond-haired man felt uncomfortable under their gaze, but emboldened by his numbers, he still forced a smile and asked, "I'm asking you a question! Are you deaf? Where are you from? What's your name?"

Shen Xi remained silent.

Mingying stood behind him, her deep eyes staring at the blond-haired man as if he were looking at a dead man.

Several of Huang Mao's henchmen surrounded him, each with an unfriendly expression.

"Damn, is he mute?"

"Brother Mao, there's something fishy about these two, isn't there? That big guy's eyes are acting strange..."

"Who cares if there's a problem!" the blond-haired guy spat. "Our Mad Tiger Gang discovered these ruins first. If you want to go in, you'll have to pay an entry fee!"

As he spoke, his gaze fell on the bone-hiding hat on Shen Xi's head, and his eyes instantly lit up.

The straw hat was entirely grayish-white, with faint bone patterns along the edges, clearly not an ordinary item.

"This straw hat!" The blond-haired man reached out to take it off. "Use it as your initiation fee, and we'll let you in!"

Shen Xi frowned slightly.

Mad Tiger Gang...

The name sounds a little familiar.

In his previous life, when he obtained the job change core, he seemed to have heard of a small faction called the Mad Tiger Gang that was also active in the North City Ruins. However, it had been too long, and he couldn't remember clearly.

But since he's considered an "old friend"...

"Take me to see your gang leader," Shen Xi finally said.

The blond-haired man was taken aback, then laughed: "Oh ho, pretty arrogant? Who do you think you are, saying you can just see the gang leader like that?"

"Exactly!" a henchman chimed in. "Do you think you can just see the boss whenever you want?"

"Hand over your straw hat, kowtow three times, and if I'm in a good mood, I might take you to see the gang leader!"

Several people burst into laughter.

Shen Xi didn't move.

He simply raised his hand slightly.

next second...

Mingying moved!

No one even saw his movements clearly; they only felt a gust of bloody wind pass by, and the henchman who was laughing the loudest was already sent flying!

"Bang!"

The man's body crashed heavily onto the ruins five meters away, his chest caved in, blood gushing from his mouth, and he convulsed twice before falling silent.

The laughter stopped abruptly.

The smile on Huang Mao's face froze, his legs went weak, and he almost knelt down.

The remaining henchmen were so frightened that their faces turned pale, and their hands holding their weapons trembled like leaves.

Mingying withdrew her hand and retreated behind Shen Xi. Her deep eyes swept over the group, and no one dared to meet her gaze.

Shen Xi looked at the blond-haired man, her voice still calm: "Now, can you take me to see your gang leader?"

The blond-haired man nodded frantically and scrambled toward the warehouse.

"This...this way, please! This way, please, brother!"

The Mad Tiger Gang's temporary stronghold was on the first floor of a three-story old building next to the warehouse.

Four burly men stood at the door. When they saw Huang Mao bring two strangers over, they were about to ask a question when Huang Mao stopped them with a series of winks.

Shen Xi stepped into the lobby on the first floor.

Inside sat a dozen or so people, led by a middle-aged man in his forties with a fleshy face and a hideous scar on his left cheek. He was sitting with his legs crossed, gnawing on a chicken leg. Behind him stood several burly men who looked like thugs; they were clearly trained fighters.

Tiger Lord, leader of the Mad Tiger Gang.

Seeing Shen Xi enter, Tiger narrowed his eyes and sized her up. His gaze lingered on Ming Ying the longest; that two-meter height, bronze skin, and deep, unwavering eyes—she was clearly no pushover.

"Tiger, the man is here..." The blond-haired man stammered as he recounted what had just happened, his voice trembling as he spoke of Mingying's swift killing of his underling.

After hearing this, Tiger put down the chicken leg and wiped his mouth with his sleeve.

"Brother, you owe us an explanation for who killed me, right?"

Shen Xi stood at the door, her expression obscured by her bamboo hat.

"He tried to steal my things, he deserves to die."

Tiger's eyes turned cold, and several thugs behind him stepped forward in unison.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

Shen Xi, on the other hand, looked completely unconcerned. In the center of the hall, she stood with her hands in her pockets, her posture as casual as if she were at home.

"Brother, what's your name?" Tiger suddenly changed the subject.

Shen Xi raised her head, and under the shadow of her bamboo hat, she looked at the burly man with some surprise in her eyes.

"Gu Fei".

Tiger nodded: "Brother Gu, you have impressive skills. May I ask what brings you to my Mad Tiger Gang?"

Shen Xi glanced at the dozen or so people in the hall, then looked at Tiger and said calmly, "I would like to borrow your gang's services."

Tiger raised an eyebrow: "Borrow? How do you mean by borrowing?"

"I want to go deep into the ruins," Shen Xi said calmly, "but it'll be difficult alone. Following you will save me a lot of trouble."

Tiger was stunned for a moment, then laughed.

His smile held a hint of amusement.

"Brother, what you're saying..." He looked at Shen Xi, "Why should I help you? Just because you killed one of my men?"

Shen Xi looked at him without saying a word.

Tiger continued, "I'm a very reasonable person. You killed one of my men, so by rights, I should avenge him. But you must be very strong, and I admire that. So, you join the Mad Tiger Gang, and that debt will be wiped clean. From now on, follow me, and you'll live the high life. We'll take all the treasures from the ruins together. How about it?"

A playful smile also appeared on Shen Xi's lips.

This Tiger is quite a clever man.

Knowing they couldn't win, they tried to win him over. And they phrased it beautifully, giving him a way out while also appearing magnanimous.

Unfortunately, Shen Xi was originally looking for cannon fodder.

"I can join," Shen Xi said calmly, "but I will only cooperate, not submit."

Tiger's expression changed slightly.

Tensions rose again in the hall.

Tiger stared at him, his eyes darting around.

After a long while, he suddenly smiled.

"Great! What a great partner!" He clapped his hands. "Brother Gu is straightforward! Let's cooperate then!"

He turned and walked back to the boss's chair and sat down. Crossing his legs: "But let me make this clear from the start: cooperation is fine, but once we're in the ruins, you'll have to follow my orders. After all, I have the numbers."

Shen Xi nodded: "Okay."

Tiger smiled with satisfaction and waved his hand: "Someone, arrange a place for Brother Gu to rest. Tomorrow morning, we'll go into the ruins!"